Edinburgh and the Lothian Samaritans relies entirely on unpaid volunteers to carry out its role. Currently there are 140 such volunteers who give of their time on a regular, weekly basis.  The Samaritans Centre is manned 24 hours per day by these volunteers whose primary aim  is to offer emotional support to those experiencing feelings of despair and distress, including those that might lead to suicide.

These same volunteers often undertake many other roles within the Branch. These include outreach activities in schools, hospitals and prisons and several kinds of administrative roles that help the branch run smoothly.

With increasing numbers of  contacts being made with Samaritans, particularly including those  via e-mail, we always need to recruit new volunteers.  If you are thinking about the possibility of becoming a trained Samaritan volunteer, or would simply like to know more, then please explore the world of Samaritan volunteering using the links on the left.

If you would like to attend an information evening you can either call us on 0131 221 9999 or click on the link shown below in order to see the dates available and let us know that you are coming.

 *We particularly welcome applications from people who are from ethnic minorities and those from the new European states because these groups are currently under-represented in the branch.